Brie and Onion tart Recipe

Those of you who know me are already aware of my love affair with Nigel Slater’s recipes. They are rarely fat free, nearly always indulgent and very casual good eating. He’s a columnist on the Observer, which was until recently my favourite newspaper. (Until they started charging Europeans four euros for a quarter of a paper….but that is another story and a rant that can go on for days if I let it.)

Getting back to the recipe, Nigel’s stuff can rarely be improved upon in terms of making them even more deliciously sinfully rich and fatty. But Steve came up with a way for this one: to the melting rich Brie cheese and buttery onions, we add…bacon. Mmmmmm…..

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Brie and Onion tart (as adapted from Nigel Slater's recipe)

Brie and onion tart (as adapted from Nigel Slater's recipe) if you want to make this recipe, you can apply the following steps.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time35 mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 400kcal

Ingredients

• Some onions, about five medium (enough so that you can spread a thick layer of sautéed onion slices on your pastry)
• A puff pastry (I buy them pre-rolled - they are pretty good here and much better than I could do myself. At least I think so, having never tried.)
• Butter
• A handful or two of lardons/a few slices of bacon (streaky bacon in Brit-speak)
• Fresh thyme or rosemary (both work)
• Some brie - a triangle about 3-4 inches wide at the base.

Instructions

• Slice the onions in thickish wedges and sauté them in the butter until they start to go soft.
  
• Add the lardons or bacon slices cut in thin strips. Add a handful of fresh thyme or rosemary. 
• Grind some pepper into the pan too, if you like. When it's all soft and buttery, roll out your pastry. 
• Use a blunt knife to trace an crust half an inch or so from the edge of the pastry. Slice the brie in long thing strips and spread half of them on the pastry in a radiating circle. 
• Tip the onion and bacon mixture onto the pastry (you can drain them first if you like) and spread it over the pastry to the edge you traced.

  Spread the rest of the cheese on top of the onion mixture (between the spokes of cheese under the onions, for example).
• Put in a hot oven (200 degrees celsius/375 fahrenheit) for 20-30 minutes or until the pastry is brown, the onions have just started to brown and the cheese is bubbling. Let it cool for a few minutes before serving. You might want to serve it with a nice leafy salad for contrast. Your arteries will probably thank you if you do.